Yersinia pestis

I have posted an intersting possible relation of lavender oil and pague. here
it is. If you have any input I would appreciate it. Janis Young
I have posted this on the bionet microbiology newsgroup as well:
The aromatherapy list has recently had this posting. I would like to know if
anyone on this group can provide an answer.
Subj: Aromatherapy and Bubonic Plague
Date: 11/21/98 12:12:25 PM Pacific Standard Time<
From: kercher at euronet.nl
To: aromatherapy at idma.com
From a very cold Saturday morning in Holland!
Researchers in Marseille of the Université de la Mediterrané are conducting
research under the supervision of Biochemist Michel Drankcourt on the Plague
Bacillus which claimed tenths of thousands victims in the late
Middle Ages in Southern France.
The studies are being conducted on skeletons found at ancient graveyards
from that time. They thought that in the set of teeth of these skeletons
traces of this Bacillus might still be present. Affirmative! Because the
teeth did contain the DNA of the Plague Bacillus Yersina, the same which
still now infects thousands of people all over the world.
Researchers hope that through this kind of research more will be known of
what caused the epidemics in the past.
A popular tale, I have as yet not found any authentication of the story, is
that when the Plague claimed many deaths, it was in the group of leather
glove makers that hardly any victims fell. This was due to the fact that in
the Middle Ages the art of leathertanning was not up to later day
standards. To hide the smell of the leather, glove makers use to soak their
final product in pure lavender oil. Supposedly due to their daily contact
with this natural antiseptic, they were saved.
It would be nice if the scientist could try this out and so add proof (or
not) to this story which you can find in many Aromatherapeutic publications!
John
--------------------------
John Kercher
P.O.Box 3371
4800 DJ BREDA
THE NETHERLANDS
Fax: 00 31 162 471258
Email: kercher at euronet.nl
-- >>
fasinating! I will send this around to some of my science freinds and see what
happens. I don't know who has an in into this but you never know. Jan
I responded to Kerchner today:
Subj: plague
Date: 11/22/98 10:06:36 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: LavenderJY
To: kercher at euronet.nl, list at idma.com
I am intriqued with your question regarding the glove makers being immune to
bubonic plague. It would seem a simple test to see if in fact the bacillus is
killed by lavender oil. I looked up bubonic plague in the dictionary and found
the spelling omitted the e in bubonic but this may be an Americanized spelling.
There is one other possibility to immunity and that is that fleas may not like
to be on bodies with lavender oil on them and therefore would not bite the
glove makers.
regards, Jan Young